Are You Confusing Settling Down with Settling?

Everyone comes to a point in their life where they’re expected to ‘grow up’ or ‘settle down’. Granted, some reach this point very early on in their lives, while others are nearing retirement age and still don’t feel ready for either of these options…

In fact, the mere thought of ‘settling down’ can cause anxiety in some. Why? Because this term is often associated with ‘settling’… either in a particular city or country, in a particular job and sometimes even with a particular person.

Everyone knows someone that fits into this category… and chances are, they aren’t the most fun to be around. Especially if they’re the ones that have put the label on themselves… they’re likely resentful, bitter and overall unhappy with their settled life. If you don’t know someone like this, consider yourself lucky! After all, surrounding yourself with happy, well-adjusted people is half the battle of enjoying a happy life for yourself…

And really, you are the one you should be worrying about!

We speak a lot about exploring and discovering new areas of the world – specifically Latin America. That’s what our Discovery Weekends are about… meeting new people, exploring a new backyard and discovering that ‘settling down’ in one of these gorgeous countries is nowhere near being synonymous with ‘settling’. You’re in control, and if you get the feeling that you’ve ‘settled’, then move somewhere else. Once you’ve made the initial move abroad, every move afterwards becomes easier and easier…

To Be or Not To Be (An Expat)

There are many types of travelers, but essentially they can be broken down into two types; those who stick to the all-inclusive, resort-style setting and those who customize their own agenda, book their own tours, rent a car, etc. The latter set of vacationers could be considered ‘expats in training’ or ‘closet expats’… it starts with an extended vacation (always more then the standard 7-days), touring a country, falling in love with a certain area and chatting with other English-speaking folks; usually at a local watering hole. This is where the truth will come out. Because no matter what you read online or how much research you do, nothing beats speaking directly with someone who is already living the expat lifestyle.

That being said, it’s important to listen and take what is said with a grain of salt… if you really are considering becoming an expat, research, due diligence and speaking with multiple folks in the area is important to gain a broad knowledge of a new country.

If you’re unhappy with where you live or where you work, and you find that your vacations leave you wishing you didn’t have to return, then perhaps a serious look into living abroad is in order… this doesn’t mean you’re abandoning your friends and family back home or that you’re compromising on having a ‘home sweet home’ or ‘happily ever after’. Quite the contrary. Your home is a refection of you... it should bring out the best in you and be a place where you can relax 100%... it should be a place where you can ‘settle down’. If you get the urge to start doing it all over again, well… what’s stopping you? The first move is the hardest, after that, you’ll be surprised that you ever ‘settled’ before.

Our Discovery Weekends are a wonderful way to discover a new country! There’s no risk involved, you get a chance to see an area of a country that may be off the main tourist track and of course, you’ll have an opportunity to check out some incredible real estate deals… sound exactly like what you need?

Current Topics

We’re taught from an early age to accept that we can’t have everything we want… that we have to share or compromise. Thankfully, now that you’re an adult, and you’re considering a property purchase abroad, these ‘rules’ don’t apply.

We frequently refer to Costa Rica’s southern Nicoya Peninsula as a ‘hidden gem’. Naturally, those already owning and/or living in this tropical oasis would prefer it stays that way…

Where International exists to recommend a variety of International real estate options. Where International requires developers to meet stringent criteria before offering them to you. Conversely, any inspections we conduct on projects or individuals should not be misinterpreted as a guarantee by Where International. International real estate is not immune to the ups and downs that occur in North American real estate; property values are never guaranteed to increase.

Where International is not accountable for the orchestration or deliverance of Discovery Weekends. We provide them to you on behalf of our developer partners. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance, as you would with any trip out of your home country. In addition, we advise you complete your own due diligence, purchase title insurance and always use a local attorney to assist with all transactions. In the event that a reader purchases a property from a recommended developer, Where International receives a sum from the developer.